Ottawa-Carleton Regional Transit Commission TeleTranspo
Tele Transpo was a premium fare service operated in communities in which regular bus service was not practical, both due to low ridership and the small bus fleet OC Transpo inherited from the OTC. The communities being served varied over time, but included Beacon Hill South, Bells Corners, Blackburn Hamlet, Briargreen, Crystal Bay, Glen Cairn, Kanata, Leslie Park, Mooney's Bay, Orleans, Pineview, Qualilcum, Redwood, and Rothwell Heights. As both the communities and OC Transpo's fleet grew, Tele Transpo service was gradually replaced by regular service, and what finally ended the service was the arrival of the 30' Orion I buses between 1978 and 1983. By 1980, Tele Transpo service disappeared from the OC Transpo system maps, though it continued to be listed as a fare category until 1983.
Revived
In 1982, OC Transpo revived Tele Transpo to serve residents along Grandview Road in Nepean, though without the specialized midibuses or the premium fare, and continued to provide demand-responsive service along the road until 1997, when the service became peak-period only. By the mid-1990s, OC Transpo had retired all of its Orion I buses and the road was being served by 40' buses, often carrying only one passenger at a time, and the driver would need to drive the entire route because the bus only had enough room to turn around at the northern end of the road. Peak-period service along Grandview continues to this day.
OC Transpo also experimented with Tele Transpo service in Rothwell Heights in 1997 and 1998 by providing demand-responsive service on route 123 during evenings and Saturdays. The route was divided into four segments and community residents would call the number and a bus would be dispatched to pick them up. The route would either use cutaway buses or the ElDorado EZ-Rider (#9751). Riders leaving Blair Station simply told the driver their destination upon boarding. However, the service was not popular and was replaced by regular bus service in 1999. [1]
All-Time Roster
| Fleet Number(s) |
Thumbnail | Year | Manufacturer | Model | Engine | Transmission | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9721 | 1975 | Mercedes-Benz | O309-D | Renumbered 9721 in 1975. | |||
| 9722-9729 | 1974 | Mercedes-Benz | O309-D | Renumbered 9722-9729 in 1975. | |||
| 9731-9742 | 1973 | International/Wayne | 1603 | Renumbered 9731-9742 in 1975. | |||
| 9751-9755 | 1973 | Highway Products | TC25TO | Renumbered 9751-9755 in 1975. | |||
| 9761-9763 | 1973 | Rek-Vee | Club Car |
| |||
| 9764-9770 | 1974 | Rek-Vee | Club Car |
| |||
| 9771 | 1973 | Rek-Vee | Club Car | Loaned from UTDC 1973-75 then bought 1975. | |||
| 9772-9782 | 1976 | Orion | Dial-A-Bus | Deutz Diesel | Dodge RM350 chassis. |
